Bump on the Road
by chrichuu
Summary: Ryoma Echizen and Sakuno Ryuzaki are best friends. But will a certain bump in the road change all of that? Put in an English test, a bruise and a mystery woman.


Hello minna! :) This is my first RyoSaku FanFic. R&R :)

- Chiyoh Mi

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_**RING!**_

The school bell rang violently as all the students finished their classes for that day. As soon as the teacher bid them farewell, the door was practically full of ragging students from different ages. Some, gathered themselves in their after school activities, others went home immediately because of academic tests for the following day. But a certain girl with long braids didn't go home. She was too busy thinking of her English test tomorrow.

"_Mou! I can't believe that we're gonna have another test. This is my last chance to pass!"_ Ryuzaki Sakuno groaned as she stared at the green grass she was sitting on.

A tennis prodigy went up to her carrying his tennis equipment with him. He didn't find her in their homeroom, so he decided to look for her below the broad tree in which they both like sitting on. He also knew that she needed help with English badly, and that it was her last chance to pass.

"Ne, Ryuzaki." Echizen Ryoma said as Sakuno looked up to him.

"What is it, Ryoma-kun?" She asked as Ryoma sat down besides her, making her blush a pale shade of pink. She got rid of her stutters, but she can never learn how to stop blushing. _"Mou, how can I forget about Ryoma-kun if he keeps on being this close to me?"_

"Do you need help with the English test for tomorrow?" Ryoma asked as he played with the neon ball for a while, waiting for his companion to speak up.

"Oh, yeah. I merely forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me." She sarcastically replied the cat eyed boy. The said boy smirked. _"Since when did Ryuzaki learn how to use sarcasm?"_

"Hey, English isn't that hard. You just have to learn how to use it properly. Tell you what, I'm gonna help you ace that test tomorrow." Ryoma stated as he showed her one of his rare smiles.

"Okay, fine. I need your help. I'm gonna flunk English if I don't pass the test tomorrow." Sakuno said, finally agreeing to her best friend's generous offer. _"Generous offer? Since when did Ryoma-kun become generous?" _Then an image of Ryoma helping an old lady popped in her mind. She had to bit her lip to restrain herself from laughing.

"Are you okay?" Ryoma asked because he noticed her biting her lip. _"It's that habit again. Why does she have to bite her lip? Oh man, she looks darn cute. Ryoma, stop that! She's your best friend and you can't risk your friendship. It's like what that sappy guy from TV said. It's impossible to get out of the friend zone."_ He finally received a meek nod from her.

"So anyway, wait for me after practice. Then, we can go to my place and study for the English test. And, don't worry. I already asked the coach." He added. Ryoma didn't really need to study. But seeing Sakuno's English grades fall down like that, he needed to boost her self esteem.

"Okay. See ya. I'm just gonna stay here for a while." She said as Ryoma got up from the tree and headed for the tennis courts. She started to read their previous lessons, so it would be easy for her to study later with Ryoma.

**Tennis Practice**

"Ochibi!" Kikumaru Eiji greeted Ryoma as he entered the tennis court. Ryoma nodded in acknowledgment.

"Ne, Eiji-senpai, Echizen seems to be in a great mood." Momoshiro Takeshi said as he began to ruffle Ryoma's hair.

"Cut that out, Momo-senpai." Ryoma said as they saw Tezuka, Fuji, and Inui enter the tennis courts.

"Saa. Does this have to do anything with Sakuno-chan?" Fuji asked as he caught up with the previous conversation. Ryoma just lowered the brim of his cap. Eiji, Momo and Fuji just laughed.

"Regulars, 20 laps around the court." Tezuka announced as he and Ryuzaki-sensei began to discuss something about tennis.

**After Practice**

Ryoma went back to the tree were he left Sakuno. She wasn't there anymore, so he checked the gates and found her there standing all alone.

"Ne," He said as Sakuno just smiled at him. _"Darn. It's that smile again."_ Ryoma thought as he smiled inwardly.

"Hi, Ryoma-kun. Ready to go?" Sakuno said as they began to walk towards Ryoma's house.

All the time they were walking, Sakuno kept thinking about the English test. But every now and then, an image of Ryoma would appear in her mind. Ryoma seems to be shocked, because for a good 10 minutes of their daily walk, Sakuno would start a conversation with him, in which he sometimes participates in. But today was different. She was just staring blankly on the ground as if she was thinking of something really serious.

"_What's wrong with her?" _Ryoma thought as he gently lowered the brim of his cap as the setting sun blocked his vision. Then his actions halted when he heard a familiar voice that cried in pain.

Apparently, Sakuno was thinking too hard today that she didn't notice a rock on her way. She tripped and scrapped off some skin of her knee, bringing in a few drops of blood. Ryoma quickly went to her side as she tried to stand, but being clumsy as she is, she failed miserably.

"What happened?" Ryoma asked as he helped her get up.

"If you must know, I trip over a rock and then I got off balanced so I scraped my knee." Sakuno said as few tears fell from her eyes. She was wincing all the time.

Ignoring her sarcasm once again, the tennis star knelt down and wrapped his handkerchief on her bruised knee. All the while he was doing that, Sakuno watched him, and she couldn't help but feel guilty that she used sarcasm on Ryoma, who just wants to help her.

"C'mon. My house is just a block away. We'll just have to clean it properly there. Get on my back." Ryoma stated firmly. Sakuno couldn't help but blush.

"Excuse me, but I can walk, you know. I still have my legs and feet." Sakuno muttered as the thought of herself on Ryoma's back made her blush again.

"Well, for your information, the thing that is supposed to connect your legs to your feet is badly bruised. So how will you be able to walk?!" Ryoma muttered. Sakuno finally saw his eyes under his cap and bangs.

"I still know I can walk without your help, thank you very much!" Sakuno furiously said as she went a little nearer to Ryoma.

"I'm just trying to protect you from that stupid bruise you got from that stupid rock. Do you what I'll do if you got hurt?!" Ryoma angrily stated as he also went nearer to Sakuno, who was speechless to hear this from Ryoma.

"Really, then why is that?" Sakuno innocently asked as she finally calmed down. She looked at Ryoma straight at his amber eyes.

"Well, it's because, uhh…" Ryoma stammered as he scratched the back of his head.

"Yes?" She ushered him to continue.

"It's because I like you a lot. I didn't want to tell you because I know it will ruin our friendship. I can't risk that to happen. To tell you the truth, you're the only girl who isn't declaring her love for me. Man, I sound sappy!" Ryoma groaned as he remembered those sappy TV Drama that his mom and cousin watched. He saw Sakuno very red all over her whole body, so he thought she was angry at him.

"This is why I didn't want to tell you. I know it'll ruin our friendship." Ryoma said as he faced back ready to leave. _"I really do sound sappy. Anyway, she can laugh all she wants now. She can tell her friends that Ryoma Echizen is a sappy guy. Hey, at least I got the chance to tell her that I like her…" _

Suddenly, she grabbed his arm and made him face her. What happened next is totally unexpected for Ryoma. She placed a light kiss on his lips very gently, silencing him from his thoughts.

"So, does that answer your question?" Sakuno asked as Ryoma hugged her tightly.

"Yeah. Completely." Ryoma answered as he pulled her again for another gentle kiss.

They walk hand in hand with the lazy sunset through that afternoon. But of course, Ryoma has to support her every now and then to keep her from falling. But he won't mind; because he knows that she is falling for him.

The couple failed to notice a standing figure hiding behind them.

"Ryoma, just promise me that you won't ever hurt my granddaughter." The mystery woman smiled as she went back inside the café where she was eating a delicious apple crumble.

**The Next Day – Trees beside the Tennis Courts**

"Ryoma! Ryoma!" Ryuzaki Sakuno exclaimed as she jumped onto her boyfriend's neck.

"What is it?" Ryoma asked as he returned her hug.

"I passed on my English exam!" Sakuno cheered while Ryoma put her down.

"Good for you, then." Ryoma stated as he flashed her one of his oh-so-rare smiles. Then, he kissed her, which made her tomato red.

"Hey, I just have one question." Sakuno asked as he lied on her lap.

"Hmm?" Ryoma closed his eyes.

"Where did you get the idea that I would be angry if you told me the truth?" Sakuno asked.

"A sappy guy from TV." Ryoma replied as the sun began to set on them.

"Oh, Ryoma!" Sakuno laughed as Ryoma silenced her with a heart-warming kiss.

**Owari ^^**

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**Thank you for reading! :D  
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